#20 softball sweeps Salem State in first road games of season, 7-0 and 10-5

Mar 27, 2010

SALEM, Mass. (taken from a Salem State College press
release) -- Senior Emily Vaillette (Milford,
N.H./Milford) fired a two-hit complete-game shutout to lead
the 20th-ranked Brandeis Judges past the Salem State Vikings 2-0 in
the first game of a twinbill on Saturday afternoon.

Vaillette allowed only two singles while walking four to earn her
seventh victory of the season. It was her third shutout of the
season and the ninth of her career. It also marked the fourth time
in her career that Vaillette held an opponent to two hits or fewer
in a complete game.

Brandeis (12-4-1) broke open a scoreless tie with a four-run fourth
inning. Sophomore Brittany Grimm (Perkiomenville,
Pa./Perkiomen Valley) singled to open the inning. Following a
fielder's choice, senior catcher Erin Ross
(Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) singled in the first run of the game.
Sophomore Lauren Porcaro (Shrewsbury,
Mass./Shrewsbury) doubled in another run and one batter later
senior Chelsea Korp (Worcester, Mass./Holy Name)
hit a two-run single to make the score 4-0.

The Judges iced the game with three more runs in the seventh inning
highlighted by a base hit by sophomore Marianne
Specker (So. Windsor, Conn./Westminster School) that drove
in two runs.

Salem State managed just a pair of singles in the game by Amanda
Scola (Leominster, Mass.) and Katie Oram (Lynn, Mass.).

Starter Kristen Lojko (Beverly, Mass.) allowed four earned runs and
five hits in just three and two thirds innings to suffer the loss,
which snapped the Vikings eleven-game unbeaten streak.

In the second game of the day, Brandeis sophomore reliever
Caroline Miller (Bala Cynwyd, Pa./Harriton)
pitched five and two-thirds scoreless innings as the Judges came
from behind to beat SSC, 10-5, and complete a doubleheader sweep of
the home team.

Senior Allie Mussen (Franklin Square, N.Y./Carey)
started the second contest, but faced just five batters, giving up
five runs, three of them earned before giving way to Miller, who
shutdown Salem State for the rest of the game until the seventh,
when Vaillette closed out the game.

Salem State (10-3-1) jumped onthe Judges (13-4-1) early, scoring
five times in the bottom of the first.

Michelle Grifoni (Peabody, Mass.) singled to open the inning and
following a sacrifice by Sarah Brown (North Attelboro, Mass.)
walked to give Salem State two runners on with one out. Salem State
then plated the first two runs on a passed ball and balk to go on
top 2-0. The Lady Vikings then loaded the bases for Jenna Lentine
(Methuen, Mass.), who stroked a two-run single to make the score
5-0 after one inning.

Brandeis came right back to draw to within 5-4 in the second
inning. Salem State starter Sarra Bergeron (Methuen, Mass.)
struggled after retiring the first batter of the inning. Following
a single and walk, a passed ball scored the first run for Brandeis.
Junior 1B Courtney Kelly (Leicester, Mass./Notre
Dame Acad.) added a base hit to score the second run and one batter
later Marianne Specker hit a two-run double to cut the deficit to
one. Katleynn Fanning (East Boston, Mass.) replaced Bergeron and
ended the inning by getting a pop-up to second.

Brandeis tied the game in the fifth following en error by Salem
State after a triple by Brittany Grimm, who went 3-for-4 on the
day.

The Judges finally pulled away with a five-run seventh inning.
Rookie Stacey Berg (Owings Mills, Md./McDonough)
doubled in one run and Kelly and Chelsea Korp followed with
run-scoring singles. Kelly scored the final run on a wild pitch to
make the final 10-5.

Kelly finished 2-for-4 with two RBI for Brandeis while Lentine went
1-for-3 with two runs batted in for the Lady Vikings.

Miller picked up the win allowing just two runs and striking out
three for Brandeis, which now has a seven-game unbeaten streak.

Fanning suffered the loss for Salem State giving up six runs and
nine hits in 5.1 innings.

The Judges are now off until April 7, when play host to WPI in a
twinbill at 3:30 p.m.